Comparison Test: 8 Sliding Dual Compound Miter Saws

What's in a name? If it's "sliding compound miter saw," quite a lot. Not only does the name tell you what this machine is capable of doing, it's a literal road map of the tool's evolution. What started out as a simple, easily portable power miter saw for 2 X 4s and trim has roughly doubled in weight and size as more features and greater capacity were built in. These new saws are no longer confined to simple miters—now you can angle the blade in relation to both the table and the fence to cut the compound angles needed for hip roofs and crown molding. And, in place of the basic miter saw's chopping action that limited cut size to blade diameter, the new saws have a powerhead that slides along rails, much like a radial-arm saw.
In fact, sliding compound miter saws have taken a serious bite out of the radial-arm saw market—and it's easy to see why. Lighter and smaller than radial-arm saws, the new tools are less prone to being knocked out of alignment. For the shop woodworker who goes on site, or the carpenter who works out of a truck, a sliding compound miter saw seems like a good thing. Whether it's a great thing depends on what your needs are.

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Design Basics
Unlike a radial-arm saw, a power miter saw has a circular table that pivots with the saw blade, and a replaceable kerf plate that's adjustable for bevel cuts. Instead of a fussy wooden table and fence, miter saws have rigid, low-maintenance metal tables and fences.
In contrast to a radial-arm saw powerhead that's simply hung from a relatively massive arm, a sliding compound miter saw's powerhead is fixed to twin 1-3/16-in.-dia. rails that slide through the saw's frame. Because the powerhead/rail assembly cantilevers over the saw table, the rails require a heavier bearing system to stand up to the load and provide smooth action.
Most of our test tools use a linear ball bearing on one rail and an adjustable split-bushing assembly on the other. The linear bearing is a sleevelike unit that supports the powerhead while allowing it to slide in and out. The split bushing and second rail serve to keep the assembly from pivoting on the first rail. If the bushing is loose, accuracy suffers. In most cases, the rail with the bushing also has a slide lock. Our Makita saw is the only one we tested with linear ball bearings on both rails.
The rails on many saws simply slide out the back of the tools' frames as the powerhead is pushed toward the fence. All of these except the Bosch require a base stabilizer to keep the machines from falling over backward. A more compact, well-balanced design is favored by Delta, Makita and Porter-Cable. Here, the rails slide under the table.
While you can't fit a sliding miter saw with a dado blade, you can use it to cut grooves by adjusting the blade height over the table and making a series of kerf-wide slots. The Makita and DeWalt have dual-stop systems that allow you to quickly switch from through cutting to a preset slot-cut depth.
While all the tools miter to the left and to the right, only the Makita, Hitachi and DeWalt bevel in both directions. While you can make the same cuts with a single-bevel saw, these dual-bevel models are much more convenient.

Makita LS1212
The LS1212 is a very smooth-operating tool with well-designed features and controls. Conveniently grouped at the front of the table is the miter-lock handle, detent lever for finding common angles and slide lock. The bevel adjustment at the back has a detent at 0 degree and adjustable stops for 45 degree left and right. The left side of the fence has a swing-away extension that provides good stock support for 90 degree and left bevel cuts.
As mentioned earlier, the Makita is the only saw in our group with linear ball bearings for both rails. In fact, while one rail on the LS1212 has one bearing, the other has two, spaced to provide better support for the cantilevered powerhead assembly. This system is bound to provide greater accuracy and smoother, troublefree performance over the long haul.
With the rails sliding under the table, this tool is relatively compact and easy to carry. To achieve dual-bevel capacity, the motor is angled so the head can be tilted down on the side of the motor. The angled gear drive is a solid alternative to the overhead motors and belt drives found on the Hitachi and DeWalt dual-bevel miter saws.

DeWalt DW708
With its twin rails stacked vertically, overhead motor, belt drive and big 12-in. blade, this saw stands out in appearance. Structurally, DeWalt's stacked rail design seems to make sense. At least at the 0 degree bevel position there's little load on the split bushing. That may be why we felt the sliding action on this saw was nearly as smooth as the Makita's.
In addition to being about the biggest tool in our group, the DeWalt is also the loudest.
The one-piece fence has height extensions on both sides that can be positioned or removed to accommodate bevel or right-angle cuts. All of the controls and adjustments are easily accessible. The tool has a horizontal handle with an oversize trigger and a carrying grip.
Instead of the threaded miter-table locking handle most other compound miter saws have, the DeWalt has a cam-lock arrangement in combination with a detent lever for common angles. There's even a vernier scale for increments of one-fourth of a degree, although the regular degree marks are clear enough and so well spaced that the scale seems unnecessary. This and the Craftsman saw were the only tools in our group that didn't come with a workpiece clamp.

Milwaukee 6497-6
This tool has an excellent convertible fence extension on the left side of the table that provides support for bevels and right-angle work. Also on the left is a 5-in.-long table extension. On the right side, there's a flip-away stop for repetitive cuts. And, the table is 3-1/2 in. high so you can use a 2 X 4 to quickly support long pieces. This single-bevel saw has an easy-to-read bevel scale.
Milwaukee's unusual angled rails are fixed to the tool frame—not to the powerhead as they are in other tools. This means that the rails are always extended and you might find the tool cumbersome to move and store. While there's a linear bearing on the lower rail, the upper rail is supported by two ordinary round ball bearings, one on each side of the rail—one fixed, the other spring loaded against the rail. This bearing system seems like it should work better than the split bushing of the other tools. However, the sliding action is rougher, and the spring-loaded ball bearing adds an element of play into the powerhead when it's set for bevel cuts. The stops for 0 degree and 45 degree bevels are also spring loaded, permitting an extra few degrees at each end of the range.

Hitachi C 10FS
The Hitachi has an overhead motor and belt drive that allow bevels to both sides, and removable sliding fences that can be adjusted to suit the work. While the sliding fences are a good idea, they cut down crosscut capacity when in place, and both the two-piece fixed fence and sliding fences are only about 1-1/2 in. high.
Also unique to the Hitachi is a small, beveled plastic block mounted in line with, and behind, the blade at the back of the table. After making an initial kerf in the block, the block serves to guard the rear of the blade from small cutoffs. Unfortunately, the block needs to be readjusted with changes in miter angle.
When adjusting the miter angle, you'll find soft but distinct detents for common angles—there's no separate detent lever. The miter scale is one of the more difficult to read, but the Hitachi is the only tool in our group that has detents for common bevel angles.
While this tool gets high points for fit, finish, design and attention to detail that other makers miss, it lacks the simplicity that job-site carpenters generally appreciate.

Porter-Cable 3807
Like Makita, Porter-Cable uses the sensible and compact rail-under-the-table design. If you want a saw that transports easily, this model, with a 10-in.-dia. blade, may be the one to buy. It shares the horizontal handle found on the DeWalt, Delta and Craftsman saws.
The saw features a miter detent lever that locks solidly at common angles. The one-piece fence is fairly low and has no extensions, although there are holes for installing ones you make. And, unlike most other saws, there are no fixed table sections on each side of the pivoting miter table. The P-C has one of the better stock clamps for holding work to the table. It's a simple cam-lock device that's fast and secure.

Bosch 3915
While the Bosch saw is a little unadventurous in terms of design, it's a sturdy tool with several great features. The holddown clamp is the quickest to use—its knurled shaft jam locks in the hole as the cam lever is tightened down on the work. And, a sliding extension on the left side of the table adds 3 in. of stock support. This is the most compact of the saws with rails that extend through the rear frame—yet its base doesn't require a stabilizer bar.
The white-on-blue miter scale is easy to read and there are marks for standard rafter cuts. An inch scale on the one-piece fence may come in handy, and there's no fence extension accessory. A spring-loaded detent lever for setting common cutting angles has a solid, positive feel, and a conveniently oversize knurled wheel sets depth of cut.

Craftsman 21292
The entry from Sears is the only saw with a metal shroud over the rail assembly. Underneath, you'll find three rails instead of the usual two. The Craftsman saw has the same two rails as the rest—one that rides in a linear bearing and the other in a split bushing—and devotes a third, thinner rail to the slide-lock mechanism.
This 12-in. saw bevels only to the left and has a stop at 33.9 degrees for mitering crown molding. Like the Porter-Cable saw, the table has no fixed extensions on either side of the pivoting section. However, the table is relatively large and the miter scale is easy to read. A removable fence extension on the left side adds support for bevels and 90 degrees cuts. Finally, while most other saws have a single carrying handle, this tool has two. You need them both—this saw is big and heavy.

Delta 36-240
The Delta and Porter-Cable tools share the same basic design and, by all indications, the identical powerhead assembly. However, there are some differences.
Delta has equipped its version with a plastic base that adds stock support on both sides of the circular miter table. And, the Delta's fence is slightly higher than the Porter-Cable's. Although this saw is wider than the P-C due to the base extension, it is slightly shorter in the other direction.
In general, the Delta doesn't measure up to its P-C cousin. Instead of a separate miter detent lever and miter locking knob, the Delta has a single, spring-loaded lever that's intended to hold the table at any position. The action is stiff and imprecise. The saw has the same easy-to-use holddown clamp as the P-C, but the clamp holes on the Delta are not as well placed. The carrying handle on the P-C never made it to the Delta and the general detailing and finish of the Delta are a few notches below par.

Picking A Saw
If you work in a shop, there's a lot to be said for a standard radial-arm saw. A radial saw has greater capacity, versatility and, surprisingly, takes up less space than a miter saw. Most of our test tools need about 20 in. between the fence and the wall behind the tool—the DeWalt and Craftsman saws need a full 2 ft. If you work on site and cut mostly 2 X 4s and trim, consider an ordinary power miter saw, or a compound miter saw for more versatility.
For those who need the extra crosscutting capacity of a compound miter saw, our favorite is the Makita LS1212. It's the smoothest and quietest of the bunch, it's quick and easy to adjust, it's accurate, and the full linear-bearing rail support is uncompromising.
Next on our list is the DeWalt. While it's one of the larger, heavier and louder saws, it's a leader in capacity and work-site simplicity. The Milwaukee and Hitachi are both noteworthy for very different reasons. The Milwaukee is loaded with features, while the Hitachi offers dual-bevel capacity in a carefully designed package.
The Porter-Cable saw tops all of these when it comes to portability, and its pricing makes it the winner in terms of value. In a similar price bracket, the Bosch offers solid features in a conventional design.
Both the Craftsman and Delta tools are capable performers. The Delta would get the nod simply because of its compactness. But, it doesn't have a handle. The Craftsman saw has two.

A typical sliding compound miter saw can measure about 2 ft. wide, almost 4 ft. deep and weigh in at over 50 pounds—not the kind of tool you'd expect to see in a carrying case. However, Makita has taken the portability issue to heart and offers a real alternative for trim carpenters on the move—the LS711DWBEK 18-volt cordless sliding compound miter saw.
Like the big Makita we tested, both rails of this 7 1/2-in.-dia. miter saw are supported on linear bearings, and the tool has a two-position depth stop. The miter range is 47 degrees left to 57 degrees right and the saw bevels up to 45 degrees to the left.
Of course, this tool won't cut what the big boys can handle. But judging by its capacities, it does a lot more for its size than you might think. It will crosscut a 2-in.-thick x 7 1/8-in.-wide workpiece at 90 degrees, and a 1 3/8 x 5-in. piece when both bevel and miter are set at 45 degrees. Now that's not enough for building a roof, but if you're handling 1 x stock, this saw's 23 pounds might be all the weight you need to carry around. Need more capacity? Makita also offers a 24-volt version, Model BLS712SFK, or a nonsliding 8 1/2-in. miter saw, Model BLS820SFK.